FRANKFURT. German government leaders took the
stand in Federal Constitutional Court on Tuesday to
counter an attempt by the ex-communist Party of
Democratic Socialism to give parliament a greater say in
German military policy.

The PDS said German lawmakers were illegally
bypassed on a 1999 NATO accord that allowed the alliance
to enter "out of area" conflicts, such as the
one in Yugoslavia, without United Nations approval. The
PDS claims the agreement involved German foreign policy
and therefore should have been put before lawmakers.

Foreign Minister Joseph (Joschka) Fischer
rejected the claim, saying that giving parliament a
greater voice in defense strategy would compromise
Germany's reliability as a NATO partner. He also warned
that other alliance partners, such as the United States,
might then rethink its role in Europe. Defense Minister
Rudolf Scharping made similar arguments to the court,
which is not expected to rule on the case before autumn.

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